Weather seal for overhead garage door



June 13, 1961 J. P. QUERIO 2,987,784

WEATHER SEAL FOR OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR Filed July 30, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet1 56 z L "i 4 John P. Ouerio 1N VENTOR.

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June 13, 1961 J. P. QUERIO WEATHER SEAL FOR OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR 3SheetsSheet 3 Filed July 30, 1959 John R Ouerio 1N VEN TOR. BY QM WWWmg,

United States Patent 2,987,784 WEATHER SEAL FOR OVERHEAD GARAGE DOORJohn P.-Querio, 339 Walnut St., Vandergrift, Pa. Filed July 30, 1959,Ser. No. 830,592 11 Claims. (Cl. 20-68) This invention relates togarage-doors and more particularly to seals for overhead doors.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive but veryeifective weather seal for a garage door of the type which operates froma lowered closed position upwardly and ordinarily horizontally asconstrained by a track.

Briefly, seals in accordance with the invention are automaticallyactuated to the door sealing position as the door is returned to itslowered position. The seals are along both vertical edges and the tophorizontal edge of the door.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation :as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a door equipped with seals inaccordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is-an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of one of the sealsand the door showing one position thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a partially sectional view and a partially elevational viewof the seal and door in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the seal and doorof FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the sealin a retracted position.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5showing the mechanism for operating the upper seal.

' FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a bracket constituting a part of theinvention.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of another bracket used in conjunctionwith and as a part of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated an overhead door 10adapted to be raised and lowered between the closed and open positions.The door is selected from the group of commercially available overheaddoors and merely diametrically represents a selected door from manymanufacturers makes. As shown in FIGURE 4 door 10 operates inconjunction with a track 12 with a roller 14 disposed in the track andconstraining the motion of the door.

Seal 16 on the left side of the door as viewed from the inside, isidentical to seal 18 on the right side thereof and both seals areoperated simultaneously. Seal 16 is shown in full detail and includes anelongate angle strip 20 parallel to the left edge of door 10. Backing22, for instance felt or rubber or suitable plastic, is adhered to onesurface of the angle strip 20 and is adapted to bear against the leftedge of door 10 when seal 16 is in the closed position.

A plurality of operating mechanisms, for instance mechanisms 28and 30,each of which is identical, are mounted 'on the garage (or other) walladjacent to the left edge of door 10. Mechanism 28 consists of anessentially U-shaped mounting bracket 32 attached to wall 11 and'havinga pair of plates 34 and 36 protruding laterally therefrom. These plateshave apertures therein, one of which is equipped with a bushing 40through which push rod 42 extends. The push rod extends also through theaperture in plate 34. One end of rod 42 is fixed to strip 20, and thereis a spring 44 seated on rod 42 and on a collar 46 made secure to rod40. The purpose of the rod and spring is to push the seal member 20toward the left edge of door 10.

Rod 50 is mounted longitudinally with reference to the left edge of door10. The rod 50 has a pair of arms 52 and 54 riveted or otherwise securedthereto, arms 50 and 54 being for mechanisms 28 and 30 respectively.Rollers 56 and 58 are at the ends of the arms 52 and 54 and they bearagainst angle strip 20. The arms are also connected with mountingbrackets 32 and 30 of the mechanisms 28 and 30 by means of pivots 60.

A tension spring 62 is anchored at one end for instance by hook 64 in'aceiling joist or someother suitable place, and secured at the other endby a link 66 .to the upper extremity of rod 50.

Latch operator 70 is secured to the door 10. Operator 70 is made of aflat plate with an ear 72 projecting laterally therefrom (FIGURE 7). Itis used to engage bracket 74 which is riveted or otherwise secured tored 50. Bracket 74 has been offset 76 at one end to assure that it willbe in the path of travel of the ear 72 of the latch operator 70.

In operation of seal 16, it is assumed that the overhead door is openand in the process of being closed. When the door is almost closed(FIGURE 5) operator 70 bears against bracket 74 forcing bracket 74androd .50 downward. This causes both arms 52 and '54 to swing and therollers 56 'and 58 to bear against angle strip 20. Since the angle stripis supported for horizontal displacement on rods 42, the pad 22 comes tobear against the left edge of the door. Springs 44 aid in projecting thestrip 20 and pad 22 to the door edge contacting position.

When the door is opened, bracket 74 is released because operator 70moves vertically upward. Spring'62 reacting on rod 50 elevates the arms52 and 54 while springs 44 and the corresponding unnumbered spring ofthe mechanism 30 aid in retracting the seal away from the edge of thedoor.

The upper seal is seen best in FIGURES 5 and 6. Upper seal is made of anangle strip 102 having a pad 1040f material identical to pad 22, adheredto the back face thereof. A plurality of angle brackets 103 areconnected, for instance by screws to the upper portion of door 10, andthey each support mechanisms 112 for projecting strip 102 and its pad104 against the surface 114 above door 10. The surface 114 may be a trimstrip, sealing joist, etc. Mechanism 112 is made of a rod 116 extendingthrough a bushing 11 8 in one side 120 of a U-shaped bracket 122. TheU-shaped bracket is secured to the upper flange of angle bracket 108(FIGURE 6) positioning rod 116 to correctly operate the angle strip 102.The spring 124 is concentrically mounted on rod 116 and seats on plate121 of bracket 122 as well as a collar or other suitable stop madesecure to rod 116. The bias of spring 124 is in a direction to projectthe rod 116 toward surface 114 so that automatically, when the door 10is pulled to the closed position, either manually or by a poweroperator, the pad 104 comes to bear against surface 114 with sufficientforce to form an effective seal at the upper edge of the door.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention'asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is'as follows:

1. Automatic seals for an overhead'moving door, said automatic sealscomprising for at least one edge of the 3 door a spring provided with apad adapted to contact said edge of the door, a plurality of sealactuating mechanisms associated with said strip and each including arod, a mounting bracket movably carrying said rod, and a spring reactingon said rod and bra cketto pull said rod in a direction which separatesthe strip from said edge of the door. V

2. Automatic seals for an overhead moving door, said automatic sealscomprising for at least one edge of the door a spring provided with apad adapted to contact said edge of the door, a plurality of sealactuating mechanisms associated with said strip and each including arod, a mounting bracket movably carrying said rod, and a spring reactingon said rod and bracket to pull said rod in a direction which separatesthe strips from said edge of the door, an arm pivoted to said bracket atone end of the arm, means at the other end of said arm engaging saidstrip, and means connected with the door for moving said arm forciblyagainst said strip in response to closing movement of the door. 7

3. Automatic seals for an overhead moving door, said automatic sealscomprising for at least one edge of the door a spring provided with apad adapted to contact said edge of the door, a plurality of sealactuating mechanisms associated with said strip and each including arod, a mounting bracket movably carrying said rod, and a spring reactingon said rod and bracket to pull said rod in a direction which separatesthe strips from said edge of the door, an arm pivoted to said bracket atone end of the arm, means at the other end of said arm engaging saidstrip, and means connected with the door for moving said arm forciblyagainst said strip in response to closing movement of the door, the lastmentioned means including an operator attached to the door, a bracketattached to said arm and in the path of movement of said operator.

4. Automatic seals for an overhead moving door, said automatic sealscomprising for at least one edge of the door a spring provided with apad adapted to contact said edge of the door, a plurality of sealactuating mechanisms associated with said strip and each including arod,

a mounting bracket movably carrying said rod, and a spring reacting onsaid rod and bracket to pull said rod in a direction which separates thestrips from said edge of the door, an arm pivoted to said bracket atone'end of the arm, means at the other end of said arm engaging saidstrip, and means connected with the door for moving said arm forciblyagainst said strip in response to closing movement of the door, the lastmentioned means including an operator attached to the door, a bracketattached to said arm and in the path of movement of said operator, saidmeans for contacting said strip including a roller at one end of saidarm.

5. Automatic seals for an overhead moving door, said automatic sealscomprising for at least one edge of the door a spring provided with apad adapted to contact said edge of the door, a plurality of sealactuating mechanisms associated with said strip and each including arod, a mounting bracket movably carrying said rod, and a spring reactingon said rod and bracket to pull said rod in a direction which separatesthe strips from said edge of the door, an arm pivoted to said bracket atone end of the arm, means at the other end of said arm engaging saidstrip, and means connected with the door for moving said arm forciblyagainst said strip in response to closing movement of the door, the lastmentioned means including an operator attached to the door, a bracketattached to said arm and in the path of movement of said operator, anelongate strip to which said arm is fixed, a spring reacting on saidelongate strip and opposing the movement of said elongate strip in thedirection at which said first mentioned strip moves toward said edge ofsaid door and for returning said arm to the position at which said firstmentioned strip separates from said edge of said door in response torelease of said operator from said bracket.

6. The combination of claim wherein there is a sealing strip at theupper edge of the do r, means movably mounting said sealing strip onsaid upper edge of said door so that said sealing strip at said upperedge of said door automatically functions in response to the closing ofthe door.

7. In an overhead door, a plurality of automatic seals at least for theside edges of the door, each seal including a strip, means mounting saidstrip for essentially horizontal movement toward and away from one sideedge of the door, an arm pivotally mounted at one end and having rollermeans at the opposite end in contact with said strip for displacing saidstrip substantially horizontally, an operator attached to said door andmovable therewith, and means connected with said arm and engaged by saidoperator for pivotally moving said arm in response to motion of saidoperator as the door is being moved between the open and closedposition.

8. In an overhead door, a plurality of automatic seals at least for theside edges of the door, each seal including a strip, means mounting saidstrip for essentially horizontal movement toward and away from one sideedge of the door, an arm pivotally mounted at one end and having rollermeans at the opposite end in contact with said strip for displacing saidstrip substantially horizontally, an operator attached to said door andmovable therewith, and means connected with said arm and engaged by saidoperator for pivotally moving said arm in response to motion of saidoperator as the door is being moved between the open and closedposition, said means mounting said strip for essentially horizontalmovement including spring loaded rods with the bias of the springs in adirection to return said strip when said operator is removed frompressure contact with said means on said arm whereby said stripautomatically separates from said edge of said door in response toopening movement of the door. Y

9. In an overhead door, a plurality'of automatic seals at least for theside edges of the door, each seal including a strip, means mounting saidstrip for essentially horizontal movement toward and away from one sideedge of the door, an arm pivotally mounted at one end and having meansat the opposite end in contact with said strip for displacing said stripsubstantially horizontally, an operator attached to said door andmovable therewith, and means connected with said arm and engaged by saidoperator for piovtally moving said arm in response to motion of saidoperator as the door'is being moved between the open and closedposition, said means mounting said strip for essentially horizontalmovement including spring loaded rods with the bias of the springs in adirection to return said strip when said operator is removed frompressure contact with said means on said arm whereby said stripautomatically separates from said edge of said door in response toopening movement of the door, additional means movable approximatelyparallel to said edge of said door and connected with said arm andhaving a spring associated therewith for aiding in moving said arm in adirection to withdraw said strip from said edge of said door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,749,582 Beck June 12, 1956

